'97 Ambassadors

The following Ambassadors began participating in DO-IT in 1997. They continue to pursue college and career goals and encourage younger Scholars and Ambassadors.

Andrew, '97 Scholar

My name is Andrew, and I have a mobility impairment. I have a weakness and lack of control on my left side, especially my left hand. I live in State College, Pennsylvania. I enjoy programming, writing and reading literature, photography, and music. I am majoring in physics at the Rochester Institute of Technology in New York.

Amanda, '97 Scholar

My name is Amanda. I attend the University of Great Falls, and I will be entering my senior year. The University of Great Falls is located in Great Falls, Montana. My major is communications with an emphasis in writing, and my minor is computer systems integration. I am a paraplegic. I like to read, write, and go on the Internet. I also enjoy photography. I hope to be a writer for a newspaper or a magazine. I write for the local Multiple Sclerosis Association of America (MSAA) newsletter. The Internet has allowed me to communicate with friends and family who do not live near me. I also use the Internet for research for my classwork and for my volunteer work in the MSAA newsletter. I was an Intern in Summer Study '99.

Jennifer, '97 Scholar

Hi. My name is Jennifer. My disability is blindness. I attend the University of North Dakota. I am majoring in early childhood education. Some things I enjoy doing are reading, going to movies, and hanging out with my Tri Delt sorority sisters. Recently, I got married. DO-IT enables me to keep in contact with those I have met.

Minh, '97 Scholar

My name is Minh (Cynthia). I attend the University of Washington. I am thinking about majoring in international business. My disability is Achondroplasia ("little people" or short). My height is only four feet. My hobbies are traveling, watching movies, using e-mail, and searching the Web. I also like to chat. *smile*

Trent, '97 Scholar

Hi, my name is Trent. I attend Bellevue Community College. I plan to begin a new two-year program there called Transition to Success, with the goal of attaining more job skills and working toward independence. I have also been working at Target for a year as a customer service helper. I have been volunteering as a camp counselor the last two summers and as an assistant coach for Challenger Little League. I enjoy computers and the Internet.

Brad, '97 Scholar

My name is Brad. I attend the University of Arizona, pursuing a major in mechanical engineering. One of my hobbies is chess. I use a wheelchair because I broke my neck almost five years ago. I enjoy playing tennis and rugby in my free time. I still do a lot of things for myself. I even drive!

Ben, '97 Scholar

My name is Benjamin, and I am an incomplete quadriplegic due to a football accident, which means I still have feeling and some movement. I attended Green River Community College in Washington. There, I earned an Associates of Arts and Sciences degree in Design Drafting and a mechanical design certificate. I am now a drafter for Acurate Tool and Design. My hobbies include studying the Bible, watching sports, working out, and playing video games.

Justin, '97 Scholar

Hello. My name is Justin, and I'm from Florida. I'm blind, but it doesn't stop me from taking on new challenges. I am looking forward to getting a guide dog. I am attending St. Pete Junior College in Florida. I love to sing country music using a guitar or keyboard. I hope to find a career that involves both music and computers. I also just recently got engaged to be married. Back in 1998, I went to the Intel Conference in Fort Worth, Texas and presented DO-IT to an international audience.

Michael, '97 Scholar

My name is Michael. I have Spina Bifida with Upper Motor Neuron Dysfunction. I hail from Parker, Colorado. I'm an only child and when I'm not found on my computer (either playing or doing homework), I'm eating; sleeping; playing with my black Labrador Retrievers, Rosemary and Wallace; or listening to music. I regularly attend various cultural and academic events, such as speeches, drumming sessions, and other fun diversionary experiences at Colorado College in Colorado Springs. I will be a senior, with a history-philosophy major. I received one of 40 Boettcher awards for Colorado in 1999. That means free schooling (YES!!!). I am planning on graduate school in history, possibly leading to a job as a university professor in European history. I was an Intern in Summer Study '99.

Alexi, '97 Scholar

Hello. My name is Alexi. I am profoundly deaf and have used cochlear implants since 1993. I am double majoring in English and publishing at the University of Connecticut. I have finally managed to convert my passion, reading, into a viable career path. I am hoping to one day be an editor. In my spare time at school, I cheer for both our men's and women's basketball teams. Go Huskies! I was an Intern in Summer Study '01.

Karyn, '97 Scholar

My name is Karyn. I graduated from Interlake High School in Washington. Right now I am working as a sales consultant for Qwest. My learning disability is Dyslexia. My interests are roller-blading, playing computer games, talking in chat rooms, and playing soccer and basketball. I collect giraffes; I have several hundred.

Shakethia, '97 Scholar

My name is Shakethia. I attend Mississippi State University. I am a senior accounting major and will graduate in May 2003. I am on the Cabinet Board of the Student Association, where I reside over Disability Student Affairs. I am also an active member of the Association of Black Business Professionals, the Accounting Society, and Alpha Theta Chi Honor Society. I also volunteer at a local nursing home. After I graduate, I plan to go to graduate school. I am a paraplegic from a gunshot wound and use a wheelchair. Some of the things I enjoy are working out, shopping, reading, and hanging out with my friends.

Steven, '97 Scholar

Hello. My name is Steven. I am a senior at the University of Connecticut, majoring in economics. I am considering studying for an M.B.A. after I graduate. I have severe hearing loss. I love playing sports, watching movies, hanging out with my buddies, meeting new people, listening to music, and spending time on the Internet getting news and information.

Laura, '97 Scholar

My name is Laura. I live near Cleveland, Ohio. I attend Hendrix College, where I'm majoring in astronomy and biology. My disability is an ischemic spinal cord injury. My hobbies include reading, writing, and music. I was an Intern in Summer Study '99.

Veronica, '97 Scholar

My name is Veronica and I am a senior at Harvard. I am concentrating on Social Studies, and writing my senior thesis on the Republican Party's outreach efforts to Latino voters. In my free time, I sing with a Latin band that I founded called Un Poquito Mas. I love chocolate and hate brick sidewalks. As for the future, I hope to eventually be a political strategist--but who knows, maybe I will end up somewhere completely different!

Sharon, '97 Scholar

Hello. My name is Sharon. I have Retinitis Pigmentosa, a low vision problem. I live in Pendleton, Oregon during the summer, and Portland, Oregon during the rest of the year. I attend Portland State University, where I study social sciences. I will be graduating in the Winter of 2003. My hope is to become a teacher for the visually impaired. I have a guide dog, Kistler, who I dearly love. I enjoy my dogs and other animals, football, basketball, gymnastics, bike riding, and spending time with family and friends. I am very active with Guide Dogs for the Blind; I volunteer every summer and get to be part of their program.